1. Affinity and Avidity by: Omar Ammar
Jordan University of Science and Technology Faculty of Applied Medical Sciences Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences
Affinity and Avidity
by: Omar Ammar

2. Affinity of Antibody
Is the strength of the reaction between a single antigenic determinant and a single combining site on the antibody
It is the sum of the attractive and repulsive forces operating between the antigenic determinant and the combining site of the antibody

3. Measuring affinity by equilibrium dialysis
Once you know the concentration of free and bound ligand at equilibrium for different ligand concentrations, you can calculate the equilibrium binding constant (K), which provides a quantiative measure of the affinity of the interaction.
Note that equilibrium dialysis is based on differential ability of ligand and antibody to pass through membrane. Can only be used when the ligand is small (e.g. a hapten).

4. Equilibrium binding equation
Ag + Ab
Ag-Ab k1 k2
Free antigen
Free antibody
Antigen- Antibody complex
Ka =
[Ab-Ag]
[Ab][Ag]
Ka is the association binding constant.
k1 or kon is the association rate constant.
k2 or koff is the dissociation rate contant.

5. Equilibrium binding equation
Ag + Ab
Ag-Ab k1 k2
Ka =
[Ab-Ag]
[Ab][Ag]
If binding is weak: k2 (off rate) is high, and Ka (association binding constant) will be low (equilibrium shifted to the left).
If binding is strong: k2 (off rate) is low, and Ka will be high (equilibrium shifted to the right).

6. Ag + Ab Ag-Ab [Ab][Ag] Kd = [Ab-Ag]
Sometimes binding strength is represented by Kd (dissociation equilibrium constant) = 1/Ka k2
Ag + Ab
Ag-Ab k1
Kd =
[Ab][Ag]
[Ab-Ag]
Kd (dissociation equilibrium constant) = 1/Ka (units are moles/liter)
The ligand concentration at which 1/2 of the antibody is binding ligand at equilibrium, is close to the Kd
Stronger binding corresponds to lower Kd

7. Data from equilibrium dialysis can be analyzed using Scatchard Plot:
r= bound ligand / total antibody
c= free ligand
n= number of binding sites per antibody molecule
Slope = -Ka
X-intercept = n
Note: this only works if the antibody is homogeneous: all antigen binding sites identical, e.g. myeloma protein or a monoclonal antibody. What happens with polyclonal antibody which consists of mixtures of many different types of antibodies?

8. Surface plasmon resonance
Resonance units are proportional to the degree of binding of soluble ligand to the immobilized receptor. (or soluble antibody to immobilized antigen, as shown here) - Determining the amount of binding at equilibrium with different known concentrations of receptor (antibody) and ligand (protein antigen) allows you to calculate equilibrium constants (Ka, Kd). -Rate of dissociation and association (koff, kon) can also be calculated.

9. Avidity
Is a measure of the overall strength of binding of an antigen with many antigenic determinants and multivalent antibodies
-Is influenced by both the valence of the antibody and the valence of the antigen

10. Competitive inhibition assays